DAILY- HOMILY

July 26, 2017 – WEDNESDAY, 16th Week in Ordinary Time

Sts. Joachim and Anne

Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Memorial, White

Ex 16:1-5, 9 -15 / Mt 13:1- 9

     Devotion to Sts. Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an extension of the veneration of Mary.

GOSPEL READING:           Mt 13: 1 - 9

     That same day Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside. As many people gathered around him, he got in a boat. There he sat while the whole crowd stood on the shore, and he spoke to them in parables about many things.

     Jesus said, "The sower went out to sow and, as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground where there was little soil, and the seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was not deep. But as soon as the sun rose the plants were scorched and withered because they had no roots. Again other seeds fell among thistles; and the thistles grew and choked the plants.

     "Still other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop; some produced a hundredfold, others sixty and others thirty. If you have ears, then hear!

REFLECTION

     Of the world's population of over seven billion, Christians number a little over

two billion: a little over thirty percent of the world's population call themselves Christians, who call themselves believers and, hopefully, followers, of Jesus Christ.

     Despite these numbers, there is so much suffering and injustice, violence and crime, broken relationships and wars in the world today. These evil things happen even in predominantly Christian areas.

     More than eighty percent of our country call themselves Catholics, believers of Christ and members of the Church of Rome. Yet how many are able to live out their Catholic faith, other than being baptized and married in the Catholic Church? What percentage of Catholics in the Philippines regularly attend Sunday Mass? How knowledgeable are most Catholics in the rudiments of Catholic teaching and morality?

     Reading Jesus' parable of the seed and the sower, we could probably say that the seed, God's word, even today falls mostly on the paths, rocky soil and among thistles. Hopefully and with God's grace, enough seeds fall on rich soil and bear fruit.

     Mahatma Gandhi said, "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." He added, "If all Christians acted like Christ, the whole world would be

Christian."

     Gandhi's words are food for thought and real reflection: "How real a Christian am I?" "How so like or unlike Christ am I?" "Would Gandhi judge me a true believer and follower of Christ?" "Would Christ find me a true believer and follower?"

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     EDITHA N. YOUNG JOAQUIN TIENG

     SABRINA S. CHUA

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY 

     ROGELIO & EDITA SALONGA

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

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   |  The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the

   |  priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish

   |  distributed free and for personal use only.  

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